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Cassata alla Siciliana

We have a tradition of getting together with our good friends on Vashon Island and celebrating Christmas. We got together this weekend for our celebration. We have done this now for over 10 years. They are one of G's coworkers back to the days of Seattle Garden Center in the market. Neither of us had children at the time and it was a good way to celebrate Christmas together.

We both have grown and changed over the years. They now have a beautiful boy and a bustling farm. We have transitioned between jobs. But taking time each year to get together, enjoy food and time together is the basis of our wonderful friendship.

We usually plan the menu a month or so ahead. This year we decided to have crab and tuna. I usually make dessert because it is the one time of the year that I can make a decadent dessert. Some of the past desserts have been a killer Bûche de Noël. Another year it was rich eclairs. One year it was a wonderful espresso chocolate cake that kept me up all night.

My friend mentioned how much she loved Casatta - a Sicilian ricotta cake. I looked up the cake in Dolce Italiano and found the recipe. It looked time consuming but good. I was a little skeptical about an almond glaze but decided to follow the recipe.

It is not difficult but it does involve many steps and takes a good half day to complete. It was so good. My friend thought it was one of my best dessert and I would definitely make it again. Please check out the book for the recipe but here are some pictures of the steps.